Plane’s fourth album is a stark departure from their previous self-released efforts. Long the sole province of singer/songwriter Edgars Legzdins (who has always been the Chicago-based group’s only constant), the latest lineup includes guitarist Ed Anderson, who adds his own vocals and songwriting to Legzdins’ quirky musical world and increases the pop song quotient by a factor of ten. The other change is the newfound prominence of vintage synthesizers, tape loops, and a cranky, elderly drum machine that beats out a staticky tattoo over the top of most of the songs. About half of the album works a treat: the genuinely catchy electro-pop of “Heart & Soul” (which sounds like it’s mostly Anderson’s work) is a perfect match for the spooky atmospherics of “Western Avenue,” and the centerpiece track, “Mr. Edgars” (a recording of a somewhat snippy voice mail from the Chicago Police Department threatening to tow Legzdins’ car, set to a Residents-like synth warble), is the best of the oddball found-sound interludes. Unfortunately, said interludes almost outnumber the actual songs, which gives Hello More a curiously fragmented, incomplete air. The combination of Anderson’s knack for a memorable tune and Legzdins’ defiantly eccentric path has created some of Plane’s most enjoyable music yet, and with a bit more inspiration from both parties, the next album might be better still. – Stewart Mason
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